Following a prolonged build-up, legislators in Montana and North Carolina have effectively shut down access to Pornhub. As of January 1, users in these states have been unable to access the adult website due to new laws mandating age verification for viewing pornography. This would have entailed uploading a photo ID before viewing content such as sorority sisters sorting out payment for a pizza delivery.
In response, Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo, opted to block access to its adult sites entirely for these states. Upon visiting Pornhub, Redtube, Brazzers, and YouPorn in Montana and North Carolina, users are greeted with a message explaining the situation. The message states that while safety and compliance are prioritized, requiring ID verification for every visit poses risks to user privacy and child safety.
Aylo emphasizes that until a satisfactory solution is implemented, its platforms will remain disabled in these states. While the new laws do not outright ban pornography, Pornhub has taken a similar stance in response to age restrictions in other states, indicating legislators were likely anticipating this action.
The legislation in Montana (SB 544) labels pornography as a public health crisis with detrimental effects on minors, while North Carolina’s law (HB 8) mandates age verification for accessing content harmful to minors online. Similar laws restricting minors from accessing pornography have been enacted in Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
